The guys started chatting among themselves as the front door swung open. Abel strode in with Holt and a few other members following closely behind. Holt came back behind the bar and the rest went to the pool tables.
“You good?” Holt leaned over my way, grabbing beers to bring to Abel’s group.
“Yeah. Go hang out for a bit if you want. It’s been dead all day. I’ll stick around a little longer.”
He glanced over at the five guys. “You sure?”
Holt had an edge about him that I hadn’t seen before. He was usually quiet but sweet, not edgy and protective.
I nodded. “Yes. Now get out of here before you lower my tip.” I batted my eyelashes dramatically and shoved Holt’s shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Abel’s jaw churning while his eyes bored holes in Holt, but by the time my gaze snapped to meet his, Abel was winking at me, flashing his killer smile.
Weak knees.
Heart pounding.
Lady parts begging for me to tackle him onto that pool table.
After about an hour of chatting up the band members and roadie and catching Abel looking at me more and more, the flirty side of me decided to take over. Part of me wanted to see how jealous I could make Abel and the other part was just plain bored.
“Do any of you boys have a smoke I can bum?”
Quinn, the least good looking one out of them all, slid off his barstool and dug a pack of cowboy killers out of his front pocket. “Mind if I join you?”
I shook my head, walking around the bar toward the door. “The company is welcomed.” I turned to call over to Holt, “Going for a quick smoke. Watch the bar?”
Holt nodded and Quinn and I were out the door with lit cigarettes within seconds.
“So how does a chick like you get to be working in a dive bar like this? Shouldn’t you be a model or something?”
Talk about laying it on thick straight out of the gate.
I forced a flirty giggle, twirling my hair as I let out a puff of white smoke, making sure I was standing right in the window in direct view of Abel, who was deliberately not looking our way. “I’m new in these parts. Gotta pay the bills somehow.”
He ashed and the wind whisked it right onto the bottom of my shirt. “Oh shit sorry.” He started to brush the grey off for me, taking a step closer—way closer than I would have wanted him to, but I was kind of flirting so who could blame him for trying to make a move?
I giggled again. “It’s nothing really.”
“I’m such a goof.”
He took a step closer. I could smell the beer on his breath.
Gross.
“You should come to the show tomorrow night. You could hang out backstage with me.” He leaned in a little closer. Kneeing him in the crotch crossed my mind for if he tried to touch me again.
I took a step back, crashing against the brick wall next to the window. His hand landed on my hip and I was ready to take a swing. Right then, Abel busted through the door like a bat out of hell, fire blazing in his eyes.
He stomped over and without a word, his fist landed square on Quinn’s jaw.
I gasped. “Abel, what the hell?” I shoved him. “Wrong move.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “This drunk asshole is not going to hit on you in my bar.”
Quinn bowed up a little and Abel growled. “Do something about it, punk. I fucking dare you.”
I watched as Abel’s jaw flexed and Quinn’s fists tightened while he stood there silent like a little pansy.
I put my hand on Quinn’s chest. “Let’s get some ice on that before it swells. Abel here needs to learn some goddamn manners.”
I had to at least play pissed, even though I was silently thanking Abel for keeping me from having to be the one to defend myself. I knew that I had brought it on myself, but can’t a girl have a smoke with a guy without him trying to get into her pants?
Before I could even take a step, Abel’s hand was on my arm. “You,” he pointed at Quinn, “get your damn friends and get the hell out of here.” He turned to me. “I need a moment alone with my employee.” He snarled as his grip got a little tighter than necessary.
I was ready to start yelling. Who the hell did he think he was, pulling a damn stunt like that? He didn’t own me.
Quinn practically ran into the bar, right as I was starting to raise my voice to my sex-on-a-stick boss that had never been more attractive to me than in that moment.
“Abel! What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?”
He spun me around and pressed me up against the wall, pinning me between his rock solid chest and the bricks.
His voice was low as his hot breath danced on my neck. “I think that guy was no good and I was protecting what’s mine.”
“You don’t own me, Abel.”
“We’ll see about that, sugar. I get what I want.”
If he only knew that he could have had me before pulling a stunt like this. Other than the quick glances and the short comments, he’d never shown any interest in getting in my pants.
Well this escalated quickly.
Even though I was pissed, my heart raced and desire for him to take me right there coursed through my veins.
“What are you saying, Abel? That you want me? Newsflash, you’re supposed to let people know when you want them, not stare at them from across the bar and never talk to them.”
His lips got within an inch of mine. I braced myself for a kiss that never came. If I was a dude, I would have had blue balls. I definitely had the lady equivalent as my throbbing clit begged for him to press me harder against that wall.
“Everyone can tell, Crickett. It’s not just about keeping our mouths shut. They can see it all over my face and yours. You’re mine. And that is that.”
“Keeping our mouths shut about what? Abel are you shitfaced or something?”
The door next to us swung open as the five guys nearly ran out of the bar, pissed and yelling at the roadie for being a fucking idiot and getting them kicked out of another bar.
Maverick waved over at us. “Sorry for the trouble. He’s an ass.” They all climbed into a rental car before Abel could start yelling. I guess musicians aren’t really tough-guy-bar-brawl types, wouldn’t want to break a hand right before a show. That would really suck some big ole monkey balls for sure.
Holt followed them out with a concerned look on his face. “Abel. They need you inside. Now.”
Lady blue balls for sure.
“We’ll finish this later.” Abel jogged into the bar after Holt and vanished into the abyss in the back.
With the bar empty and my nerves pretty rattled, I called it a night. I grabbed my bag and got my tips out of the jar, and decided to head to my cozy motel room. My vibrator was undeniably going to be making an appearance that night.
Chapter 4
I turned the key in my jalopy of a Camaro and…nothing.
Clunk.
Click.
Clunk.
Click.
Damn it all to fucking hell.
I popped the hood and leaned into the engine, praying that I would see a loose valve or a miracle would happen. I knew deep down that there wasn’t jack shit I could do to fix it. I was probably looking at a shot starter or something frustratingly expensive to fix.
“Hey do you need some help?” Looking over my shoulder, I saw Abel’s tall frame ambling over to me from his motorcycle.
I rolled my eyes and leaned back over my engine. “What’s it to you?”
“Hey, what’s with the attitude?”
Abel’s boots crunched on the gravel as he got closer and closer; my stomach knotted and churned.
What the hell is happening to me?
I spun on my heels and glared at him with a furrowed brow. “Your awesome douchebag stunt last night, ring a bell?”
He let out a deep throaty chuckle. “I was drunk and I saw a pretty girl getting hit on by a hipster. Can you blame me for being a little jealous?”
&
nbsp; “You were totally out of line.”
“So do you want help with this or not?”
I sighed. I was at a loss. “Yeah. I think so.” I groaned, leaning on my front bumper.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for last night.” His hand landed on my shoulder for a fleeting moment and my heart fluttered.
Deep breaths.
Deep.
Slow.
How does he continue to do this to me?
“Thank you.”
“So what’s going on here?”
I nodded at my busted, annoying-as-shit, piece-of-dog-crap engine. “She’s ready to kick the bucket.”
He rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned over the engine. “Mind if I take a look?”
Before I could even respond, he was under my hood, poking and looking around.
“It’s been giving me some problems starting and this morning it’s only clicking.”
“Hmmm.” He wiped his face with his flannel sleeve as he stood up straight. “Try to start her up?”
His dark blues choked me as they bore into mine for a second. “S-sure.”
Even though I wanted to still be pissed about how he’d acted the night before, I couldn’t help but feel flattered. Sure I had liked guys in the past, found some attractive, but I was always the take ’em and leave ’em type of girl, never sticking around long enough to get hurt or form real feelings. This felt different. It felt real. There was a spark that had been lit the day I walked into the Unacceptables’ bar and it was smoldering into a wildfire that I felt the control of slipping out of my grasp.
I dove into the driver’s seat and turned the key.
Click.
That’s all she wrote.
“Again!” He shouted from around the popped hood.
Click.
“All right.”
Abel came around to the open door and leaned on it. “I’m pretty sure you’re gonna need a new starter. We can try to push start it since it’s a stick, but I really don’t think that’s the answer to your problems.”
“Fuck,” I whispered to myself. “That’s going cost a lot more than I can afford right now.”
“It doesn’t have to.” His lips turned up at the corners before he continued, “I can take care of it for you.”
I jumped up from my moping in the driver’s seat. “Yeah? Really?”
He nodded, his smile growing, showing off his perfectly chiseled facial features.
Damn, he’s hotter than a swamp in Mississippi in August.
“You don’t think that bar is the only thing I take care of do you?”
I shrugged. “You’ve never mentioned anything before.”
“Well, sugar, I run a garage a few miles from here. How about you let me take you to breakfast while one of my guys comes and tows this to the garage?”
My original reaction was to run, thinking this guy was too good to be true. He surely had to be a freaking serial killer or something, but damn those eyes, his smile, the muscles that his grey flannel shirt clung to so perfectly under his cut.
Even though he had been my boss for almost a week, I barely knew him. His time at the bar was fleeting, and in that moment I found myself doing something I had never done before: taking help from a stranger—a beautiful stranger, and my boss, but a fucking stranger nevertheless.
“Ok.”
“Let me make a call. Leave the keys in it. My guys will be here quick to get it for you.”
“That’s really nice of you, Abel.”
“Don’t mention it, Crickett.” He laughed after he said my name, which was more common than I would have liked to admit.
“Don’t be mean,” I called over while he paced as he spoke to someone from his garage, lighting a cigarette.
“No. I am telling you what you’re going to do.” Smoke escaped through his flared nostrils as he growled into the phone. “Get your ass down here with Lou and pick up her car now. Not after you eat your damn breakfast or take your morning shit. Right the fuck now. Do you forget who you work for?”
Abel’s voice was so gruff and stern while he was talking to whoever it was on the phone; I was kind of taken aback.
Once the call was over, I walked over to Abel. “You know if this is any trouble, I can figure something out.”
“Really, could you?” His voice was still stern as he shoved his cell into his pocket, throwing the half gone cigarette into the gravel and mashing it with his boot. He cleared his throat before he continued, cooling his tone quite a bit. “This is no trouble at all, Holt was just being a little prick. Sometimes you have to put the young guys in their place.”
“Holt? He works at your garage too?”
“Yeah, he works with you and is apprenticing at my garage. Good kid, just needs direction.”
“Oh shit. My shift.” It had slipped my mind; the whole reason I’d been trying to start my car was to grab some groceries before I had to be at the bar at noon.
Abel put his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll make a call.”
He walked a few steps away from me. “Holt. Change of plans. Tell Lou to get a guy with him over to Crickett’s car. You’re taking her day shift today.”
Abel walked back over and flashed his killer triumphant smile. “Done. Now let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
I stared at his bike pretty nervously; I had never ridden on one before. Apparently it was written on my face. “Ever been on one of these before?”
I shook my head.
“This will be fun then.” He grabbed a second helmet from the back compartment. “Here.” He handed one over to me. “I’m going to get on first and then help you on, ok?”
I nodded. Holy hell, I was nervous. First week of truly being on my own and my car was broken down and I was about to spend the morning with a member of a motorcycle gang who I fucking worked for. When I’d left home, this was not what I had pictured at all.
What the hell is going on?
“Put your arms around me. Hang on tight.”
“Well, you don’t have to tell me twice.” I nervously laughed, flinging my arms around his middle as fast as I could.
“Don’t be nervous.”
From my shoulders all the way to my toes, I was tense. How on God’s green Earth does he expect me to not be nervous?
Abel pulled my hands more around him until my fingers were locking, then rested his on mine for a second. “Trust me.”
He pulled out of the parking lot where I left my car, keys in the ignition, and we were on our way down the road heading to an unknown destination. Even though I was pretty nervous, completely out of my comfort zone, that shit was pretty exciting. I knew it was high time for me to be this free and the wind whipping through my hair while my arms were wrapped around Abel’s Adonis-like frame made me feel that much more liberated.
We pulled into a parking lot of a tin-can-looking building with a bright flashing neon sign: 24-Hour Diner.
Abel helped me off the bike. “They have the best milkshakes in town.”
My knees were shaky and I almost fell over, stumbling right in into Abel’s side and practically tripping both of us.
“Hey, I got ya.” He wrapped his arm around me. “That happens a lot when people ride a bike for the first time. To the milkshakes!” he exclaimed as we made our way up the steps to the front door.
“Thanks.” I couldn’t help the wide ass grin that was taking over my entire face. The whole situation was making me happier than it should have. I should have been pissed about my car and the night before, but actually I was excited to spend time with my beautiful stranger.
We sat in a booth and I started to look over the menu, but Abel quickly took it from me.
“Hey!” I grabbed for it but he snatched it out of my reach.
“Let me order for you. Trust me.”
“There you go with that ‘trust me’ shit again. Have you forgotten that I don’t even know you? Or that you cock blocked me last night?”
“Cock blocked?
Really? You would have slept with that douche-nuzzle?” He narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
I shrugged. “Probably not, but it would have been nice to make my own decision about that instead of being thrown into a wall by my boss who I have barely had a full conversation with, then being informed that he has it in his head that he has some sort of claim over me.”
“Well, if you don’t feel the connection yet, I’ll give you some time. Let’s start with the basics and get to know each other.”
The waitress brought over two coffees and asked us if we knew what we were having. Abel looked at me and I waved my hand. “I’ll have whatever he suggests.”
“Two chocolate mint milkshakes and southwestern omelets, June. Thanks.”
“You got it, Abel.”
With a warm smile, June headed off to the kitchen.
“Come here a lot?”
Shaking sugar from the big clear cylinder into his coffee, he nodded. “My mom used to work here when I was a kid, so I’ve spent a lot of time right here in this booth.”
I grabbed the sugar from him and cleared my throat. “So, you were about to tell me about yourself.”
“Hmm.” He nodded with coffee in his mouth. He swallowed quickly then dove in. “I’m from here. I’m an only child. My favorite color is green. I love mint, and that’s why they have a chocolate mint shake here. Your turn.”
I took a deep breath, wondering how deep into my situation I should get. “Well, let’s see. My favorite color is blue, all kinds of blue. I don’t know what my natural hair color is because I have been dying it since I was twelve. I love chocolate and mint together so I am pretty stoked to be trying this amazing milkshake.”
June came back with two huge glasses of chocolaty goodness. “The omelets will be up soon.”
“Thank you.” I smiled while eyeing the large shake in front of me. It was a meal in and of itself; I should have refused the omelet for sure.
Abel was just sitting there, staring. “Are you going to drink yours?” I laughed a little while putting a straw into my milkshake.
The Unacceptables Series Box Set Page 3
